The relationships between the characters in "Dream of Red Mansions" are intricate and emotionally intertwined. Among them, the relationship between Lin Daiyu, the granddaughter of Jia's mother, and Mrs. Wang, the head of Rongguo Mansion, is particularly delicate. Madame Wang, as Jia Baoyu's mother, has undergone a transformation from acceptance to alienation to almost hostility throughout the book, which not only reflects the influence of feudal family ethics, but also reflects Madame Wang's inner ambivalence and trade-offs.
When she first entered the Rongguo Mansion, Lin Daiyu was loved and accepted by Mrs. Wang because of her outstanding talent, wit and deep relationship with Jia Baoyu. Mrs. Wang knew that Daiyu's parents were dead and lonely, and out of family affection and compassion, she gave Daiyu a relatively superior living conditions and educational environment. At the same time, she also values Daiyu's intelligence and thinks that she is malleable, so she has a certain degree of expectation for Daiyu.
As the story develops, Mrs. Wang's attitude gradually changes subtly. On the one hand, she began to worry that Lin Daiyu's overly close relationship with Jia Baoyu might affect Baoyu's career and social status. After all, in that era, "Jinyu Liangyuan" (Baochai and Baoyu) was regarded as an ideal marriage, and Lin Daiyu's parents died despite her talent, which was unfavorable in the social environment of heavy families.
On the other hand, Mrs. Wang's personality tends to be dignified and dignified, and she is dissatisfied with Lin Daiyu's occasional frankness and informality, and thinks that Daiyu's personality does not meet everyone's standards for beauty.
In the second half of the novel, Mrs. Wang's attitude towards Lin Daiyu became more and more cold and even obviously hostile. Her misunderstanding of Jin Chu'er's death deepened her prejudice against Daiyu, and after Daiyu fell ill, she was more determined to favor Xue Baochai, not only actively promoting the "good relationship of Jin Yu", but also belittling and squeezing out Daiyu on many occasions, and even directly or indirectly led to Daiyu's life difficulties and mental depression.
Therefore, the evolution of Mrs. Wang's true attitude towards Lin Daiyu in "Dream of Red Mansions" reveals the tragic reality that the fate of women in feudal society is constrained by family status, economic interests, and traditional etiquette. Although Mrs. Wang once cared for Lin Daiyu, in the end, under the interweaving of various factors, this emotion was gradually replaced by indifference and calculation, which is also a microcosm of Lin Daiyu's tragic fate. #闲聊红楼梦#
